Journalists say the fake news epidemic isn’t improving, they also don’t know how to fix it, new study finds – Editor And Publisher Magazine

Press Release | Greentarget

As fake news continues to plague journalism and arguably, democracy itself journalists are pessimistic that their own efforts, self-policing by Big Tech and government efforts are enough to turn the tide, according to a new study released yesterday by strategic communications firm Greentarget.

In Fake News 2021, Greentarget surveyed more than 100 journalists, 35 percent of whom have worked in the profession for more than 20 years. Its the second edition of the report, the first of which was released just days before the 2020 presidential election. But journalists optimism when it comes to fake news hasnt changed much despite last years contentious political system fading into history.

Instead, 2021 has been a year in which facts around COVID-19 vaccines have been fodder for intense political debate. Thats likely part of the reason why journalists were about as pessimistic about fake news broadly defined as misinformation and disinformation as they were a year ago and why they think the term itself is overly political and doing harm to their profession.

With the term fake news so widely weaponized and disinformation and misinformation so common in everyday life, its hard to say how much of this years results reflect standard journalist cynicism or correctly gauge a very urgent threat, said Betsy Hoag, Greentargets director of research and planning, and Paul Wilson, vice president of content and editorial. Journalists also certainly arent bullish about any of the methods available to combat fake news but we think its critical that something, or perhaps many somethings, be done for the sake of our democracy.

Fake News: 2021s top findings

We support journalists in their efforts and know the value of what they do for a free society, said Lisa Seidenberg, Greentargets vice president of media relations. That said, we think and we certainly hope theyre being overly cynical about fighting fake news. Media literacy efforts, which have proven effective, are increasing across the country. We find these efforts encouraging and we hope journalists and the broader public get behind them more fully.

A full version of Fake News 2021 is available here. For more information, contact Lisa Seidenberg at lseidenberg@greentarget.com or 312-252-4108.

About Greentarget:

Greentarget is a strategic public relations firm that helps leading law, accounting, management consulting, real estate and financial services organizations create unique positions of authority through skillful participation in the conversations that matter most to their key stakeholders. With 60 professionals in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London, Greentarget combines earned media, research and market intelligence, content and publishing, digital strategy and amplification, and special situations counsel to help clients grow market share, attract leading talent and achieve a higher purpose. For more information, visit http://www.greentarget.com.

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Journalists say the fake news epidemic isn't improving, they also don't know how to fix it, new study finds - Editor And Publisher Magazine